Breaking Down Maia's Jiu Jitsu Clinic

[The MM Analyst]

If you asked Demian Maia to map out his ideal progression of a fight, he’d likely give you a flowchart that looks similar to what went down on Saturday at UFC Vancouver. Carlos Condit, the man coming off a hotly debated decision with the former champ, was helpless to stop Maia from doing exactly what he wanted to do.

Maia pressed forward at the bell, feinting Condit to the cage. Condit replied with feints of his own and backed Maia up by threatening a couple uppercuts and a front kick – strikes with an upward trajectory that promise to intercept Maia should he shoot in.


Just over a minute later, Maia found himself draped over Condit’s back with his arm wrapped around the neck and the referee telling him the fight was over. Let’s examine what he did to get there:

http://cagepages.com/2016/08/28/ufc-vancouver-breakdown-maia-clinic/

Plus a bonus pile of gifs

 

[sha]

It was pretty striking to get see Oliveira and Maia display their BJJ skills back to back. Both have outstanding BJJ, but Olivieira's loose, flowy style and (relatively speaking) lack of smart game-planning led him to making the same mistake over and over again. While Maia knew exactly what he wanted to do and did it step by step.

 

[The MM Analyst]

It was pretty striking to get see Oliveira and Maia display their BJJ skills back to back. Both have outstanding BJJ, but Olivieira's loose, flowy style and (relatively speaking) lack of smart game-planning led him to making the same mistake over and over again. While Maia knew exactly what he wanted to do and did it step by step.

Yeah, there's an interesting contrast between their styles. Oliveira likes to hit his subs in transitions and scrambles (he kept going for the front headlock when he'd land a knee), and Maia's game is focused on preventing scrambles and controlling position so that his opponent's transition attempts just sink them further down the hole.

 

[anhedonia]

Wrestling terminology question: Is there such a thing as a single leg with the head outside? Or is that simply a high crotch?

Maia has his head to the outside a lot when he shoots on a leg which in my lame BJJ single/double leg wrestling training is a no-no but in reality that is just a high crotch right?

 

[Forceof1]

I noticed that too, but he usually pulls it back inside for the finish.

 

[BJJ Coffee Drinker]

head outside single is usually an advanced variation of the single leg and is usually reserved for experienced takedown artists due to the increased risk of being countered/hurt.

Just like how in BJJ you are told don't cross your feet during the armor/on the back or don't ever turn your back to your opponent. Those rules apply when you aren't aware of the consequences but when you are more experienced, you can pull it off

 

[jack36767]

Wrestling terminology question: Is there such a thing as a single leg with the head outside? Or is that simply a high crotch?

Maia has his head to the outside a lot when he shoots on a leg which in my lame BJJ single/double leg wrestling training is a no-no but in reality that is just a high crotch right?

It depends on where you are, "how" you git the head outside shot, but head outside single and hi-crotch both work. The differences aren't worth going over because they're 90 % similar

 

[The MM Analyst]

head outside single is usually an advanced variation of the single leg and is usually reserved for experienced takedown artists due to the increased risk of being countered/hurt.

Just like how in BJJ you are told don't cross your feet during the armor/on the back or don't ever turn your back to your opponent. Those rules apply when you aren't aware of the consequences but when you are more experienced, you can pull it off

Yeah, finishing with the head outside is fine as long as you finish to both hips if you run the pipe. Often you see people in MMA who don't know how to finish it get their back taken (happened like 3 times in Inoue vs Grasso).

 

[selfcritical]

Wrestling terminology question: Is there such a thing as a single leg with the head outside? Or is that simply a high crotch?

Maia has his head to the outside a lot when he shoots on a leg which in my lame BJJ single/double leg wrestling training is a no-no but in reality that is just a high crotch right?

Finishing with the head outside is how you'll end when you run the pipe(that's the name of the finish that Maia does, and it's probably the first single finish most people learn. It works less well in the jacket)

 

[Uchi Mata]

Yeah, there's an interesting contrast between their styles. Oliveira likes to hit his subs in transitions and scrambles (he kept going for the front headlock when he'd land a knee), and Maia's game is focused on preventing scrambles and controlling position so that his opponent's transition attempts just sink them further down the hole.

Maia is a much, much better wrestler than Oliveira. That's why he doesn't have to try and 'catch' subs, he can dominate people from the feet to the ground in a way that good BJJ guys with no wrestling can't. I don't think it's so much a conscious choice to have a different game plan as it is Charles having a skill deficiency that leads him to have to apply his BJJ whenever he gets the chance instead of forcing it on his opponent.

 

[Uchi Mata]

Finishing with the head outside is how you'll end when you run the pipe(that's the name of the finish that Maia does, and it's probably the first single finish most people learn. It works less well in the jacket)

You think? I still run the pipe in the gi all the time. Doesn't seem to have any effect.

 

[Kenny from MD]

That's kind of a weird thing to say. All wrestlers I've worked with have always taught running the pipe with the head inside, and then shown the head outside as a variation/alternate finish. Shields uses the head outside single very effectively. I think it was his go to against Hendo IIRC. A single leg is a single leg, gi or no gi. The only obstacle I run into in the gi is that they have more grips to lift you up with, and if you are out of position and allow an over the back, or worse, a belt grip, you run a series risk of being thrown with a harai or similar.

 

[selfcritical]

You think? I still run the pipe in the gi all the time. Doesn't seem to have any effect.

It's typically how I set up sumi gaeshi. I feed the single leg during a scramble or while passing a seated guard get the georgian belt grip, and then elevate when they pressure the thigh down. Other single leg finishes don't give me that reversal, and my Uchi Mata sucks so I don't have a good back-up series of active attacks, but if I get the georgian during the single leg, i am very confident of reversing anyone (at least of the level who would be sparring me) who runs the pipe on me.

 

[Uchi Mata]

It's typically how I set up sumi gaeshi. I feed the single leg during a scramble or while passing a seated guard get the georgian belt grip, and then elevate when they pressure the thigh down. Other single leg finishes don't give me that reversal, and my Uchi Mata sucks so I don't have a good back-up series of active attacks, but if I get the georgian during the single leg, i am very confident of reversing anyone (at least of the level who would be sparring me) who runs the pipe on me.

I like that counter too, but I thought you were referring specifically to not being able to run the pipe as well with the head outside vs. inside. I think it's much easier to run the pipe with the head outside with or without the gi. I agree that there are more counters to the single in the gi, I typically use collar drags to one handed sweep singles in the gi to try and avoid those. It's harder to hit a pure single for the reasons you mentioned.

 

[selfcritical]

Oh, no miscommunication on my part. All of my wrestling coaches have taught that the head has to come outside at some point during running the pipe, even if you start with the head inside. My dad in particular has emphasized that, and I basically assume he had the holy written word of wrestling ingrained on him when he was at OSU because objectivity

 

[jack36767]

As far as running the pipe goes. It can be hit head inside or outside. However most coaches teach it primarily from head inside as a single leg finish. Because with your head outside it's much preferable and higher percentage to cut the corner and double leg. Because in regular wrestling, most good guys have really good balance and running the pipe is usually used to unbalance them then set up another finish. Also the running the pipe with a head outside single can actually help someone with a good defensive crackdown can much more easily either hip heist or sit the corner with your shoulder beat. Whereas head inside when running the pipe eliminates the crackdown risks and easily feeds into other single leg finishes

The key to running the pipe and why Maia is so good at it is because he doesn't "fall" when he hits it. He moves his feet and hands together and he's in good position when he actually bends down as he finishes and he uses his entire body. But because he's disciplined and doesn't fall, if the initial attempt fails he's in position to pop his hips back in and finish high with a double like he does sometimes

 

[BJJ Coffee Drinker]

Finishing with the head outside is how you'll end when you run the pipe(that's the name of the finish that Maia does, and it's probably the first single finish most people learn. It works less well in the jacket)

with the gi, even if there are more options to counter the single, there are additional options available for the person attempting the single

As far as running the pipe goes. It can be hit head inside or outside. However most coaches teach it primarily from head inside as a single leg finish. Because with your head outside it's much preferable and higher percentage to cut the corner and double leg. Because in regular wrestling, most good guys have really good balance and running the pipe is usually used to unbalance them then set up another finish. Also the running the pipe with a head outside single can actually help someone with a good defensive crackdown can much more easily either hip heist or sit the corner with your shoulder beat. Whereas head inside when running the pipe eliminates the crackdown risks and easily feeds into other single leg finishes

The key to running the pipe and why Maia is so good at it is because he doesn't "fall" when he hits it. He moves his feet and hands together and he's in good position when he actually bends down as he finishes and he uses his entire body. But because he's disciplined and doesn't fall, if the initial attempt fails he's in position to pop his hips back in and finish high with a double like he does sometimes

so glad you mentioned this. I feel its key to good balance and chaining attacks together and it is the basic fundamental way it should be taught. Most people teach to fall down with it and this ends up with people not understanding how to use their hips to finish

 

[jack36767]

with the gi, even if there are more options to counter the single, there are additional options available for the person attempting the single



so glad you mentioned this. I feel its key to good balance and chaining attacks together and it is the basic fundamental way it should be taught. Most people teach to fall down with it and this ends up with people not understanding how to use their hips to finish

Yup, proper fundamentals and positioning are so underrated by bjj players that it's the reason a lot of them think they have to be 'hulk' to wrestle

 

[sha]

The great thing about not falling down when running the pipe is that the end position transitions beautifully into either the tripod pass, or the "folding" (or leg weave) pass.

If I do fall down, I try to force my head across their body right away to transition into an over/under pass and prevent any guillotines/back takes/stand up at the same time.

 

[rmongler]

In mma its more prefferable to work on running the pipe to finish than turning the corner because it works better off the wall.